Irish households drank nearly one million bottles of prosecco last Christmas, new figures show.
According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland imported €2.1 million worth of prosecco, equating to more than 966,000 bottles, in December last year.
This was nearly double the value of the champagne imported (€1.4 million) which equated to 88,000 bottles.
When it comes to festive fizz, consumers here are more inclined to chose prosecco over champagne, a preference that appears to be driven by prosecco’s lower price point.
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A bottle of champagne is typically twice the price of a bottle of prosecco, often a lot more, mainly because of champagne’s more complex production process and the grape varieties involved.
[ Pop your cork: four alternatives to Champagne to enjoy this ChristmasOpens in new window ]
Other varieties of sparkling wine outside the big two, including Crémant and Cava, are also becoming popular here.
The prosecco preference of Irish consumers was one of a bunch of “seasonal stats” released by the CSO on Monday.
The agency also noted that “we lit up our homes and businesses with 36 tonnes of Christmas lighting imported in December 2024, valued at approximately €882,000″.
Some €2.1 million worth of decorative Christmas items such as baubles were also imported in December 2024; alongside €264,000 worth of electric toy cars and trains; and more than €1.1 million worth of dolls’ prams, pedal cars, and trikes.
Irish consumers also imported nearly €15 million worth of video game consoles.
Conversely, Ireland exported 245 tonnes of Christmas trees in December 2024.
In terms of travel, some 9.2 million people passed through Irish airports in October, November and December last year while foreign visitors had 3.9 million overnight stays in December 2024, staying on average 9.9 nights.
The agency’s seasonal statistics also indicated that 1,670 couples got married in December 2024, with Friday being the most popular day to tie the knot.
There were 82 babies born on Christmas day in 2024, with 39 girls and 43 boys.
